


The Big Oops

by maxinehouse



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 08:19:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4012480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxinehouse/pseuds/maxinehouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes silence is good and sometimes it's not</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Big Oops

**Author's Note:**

> Another one written for Voyager_Weekly
> 
> Warning: There was no beta for this, so it's a mess, hope no one is too insulted.  
> The proverbs quoted are from Brian Pascal, Martin Luther King Jr., Silvan Engel, Austin O'Malley, and Phyllis McGinley, in that order.

The silence that immediately followed Tom's screaming declaration was indeed deafening. If it was possible for sixty plus people to all shut up at once, Tom Paris had just found the way to do it. 

Unfortunately for Tom, his brain refused to be silent. Quickly he was reminded of *all* those ancient proverbs that revolved around the word silence.

There was 'silence is golden'; horseshit he thought. 'The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me'. Oh yeah, he could get his head around that one. 'In the End, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends', another damn fine proverb that at this moment fit quite well. 

'It is better to be silent, and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt'. So true, because at this very moment Tom felt extremely foolish. Rushing headlong into 'If you keep your mouth shut you'll never put your foot in it', he snorted internally. 'Words can sting like anything, but silence breaks the heart', there was that too, but his heart would mend eventually. 

While all these time honored proverbs tumbled through his mind, Tom stood stock still, eyes wide open, no mask to hide the shock and embarrassment he felt.  
"You love me?" Chakotay whispered, finally breaking the silence that was killing Tom.

Tom nodded and swallowed hard; fearful of what else might erupt forth, furthering his finest moment of stupidity. He waited for the right cut to the jaw, hoping he looked braver than he actually felt. 

What he got instead sent him into further shock; a smile. One of the brightest, most beautiful, full dimpled smiles he'd ever seen on Chakotay's face. 

"I love you, too," Chakotay said softly. 

Tom fainted.


End file.
